Rusty Reloading equipment HELP!!!

Guys I was displaced from my home for about a year because of a natural disaster my reloading equipment was in storage for around a year now that I am settled in to my new home I was setting up my loading bench and alot of my stuff has rust namely my dies that I am worried about is there any way to remove the rust from the inside of a sizing die I dont think they are pitted but how do I clean them up? I thought about breaking them down and tossing them in my case tumbler to see if they would polish up would this work?

I use walnut media with brass polish (Dillon/Midway) or NuFinish car polish to remove surface rust and polish my dies.

Let them tumble for several hours and see how they look.

10 Spot Terminator

December 5, 2010, 12:00 AM

Soak em in Kano Kroil or Knocker Loose for a few days then take a section of a gun cleaning rod with a small bore brush, wrap the brush with some soft cloth, put a fair amount of tooth paste on the cloth and lightly polish the dies inside . when the cloths quit turning color you are ready to clean them up with any stringent cleaner again ( I use rubbing alcohol ) and then lightly oil them and let set until ready to use . clean out the oil at that time so as to let the case lube work properly. You can repeat the soaking in cleaner if the first cloths come out looking too bad .

788Ham

December 5, 2010, 01:04 AM

Along with what 10 spot is suggesting, get some 0000 steel wool, wrap a piece on the end of a pencil, run that inside the die body to help remove any rust, if you get the steel wool in the biscuit form, take about 1/3 of a biscuit and you can run that around the outside of the die body to remove anymore rust on them. If you have a bench grinder/wire brush setup, lightly brush the outside of the die body if the rust is bad, lightly!

ReloaderFred

December 5, 2010, 01:50 AM

For light rust, you can either tumble them, or use citric acid. I've done it both ways and they both work, but the citric acid is much faster. They sell citric acid in stores that carry canning supplies. Mix up about a quart of hot water, a couple tablespoons of citric acid and let the rusty items set for about half an hour or so. Take them out and rinse in hot water and dry. Then apply a light coat of oil and you're done.

This is best done in a glass or plastic container, since the citric acid will work on metal. I use one of the two cup measuring cups made of Pyrex and heat the water in the microwave.

Hope this helps.

Fred

bds

December 5, 2010, 11:19 AM

"Cooking with Fred" :D

Fred, I gotta try that with some of my rusty tools. Thanks!

rfwobbly

December 5, 2010, 12:22 PM

"Cooking with Fred" :D

"Presentation being the most important thing, don't forget to display them with lighted candles on either side and a zig-zag of raspberry sauce."

From Reloading with Martha Stewart, 1998

ReloaderFred

December 5, 2010, 12:28 PM

I buy a lot of used bullet molds, and I know it's hard to believe, but some sellers are less than honest when it comes to the condition of their molds, and some come rusty. They cover the rust with oil so it won't show in pictures........

Anyway, the citric acid treatment cleans the rust right off the molds and I've yet to have one I couldn't restore. Of course serious rust and pitting is a different story altogether.

Oh, and it's not a good idea to have lit candles on your loading bench, so I'd forego that part....

Hope this helps.

Fred

rscalzo

December 5, 2010, 12:32 PM

If you can get a hold of an ultrasonic cleaner, that's what a friend uses when he repairs scuba equipment regulators. Strip down the parts and clean them in Simple Greem.

Ky Larry

December 5, 2010, 12:34 PM

Sounds like this would make a nice, festive centerpiece for your holiday dining table.:neener:

bds

December 5, 2010, 12:50 PM

Oh, and it's not a good idea to have lit candles on your loading bench, so I'd forego that part....
They sell flickering LED candles ... anyone getting hungry? :D

Nice shiny ring stack of dies with mirror polished rifle rounds would make a great centerpiece. It certainly would be a conversation piece!
"Wow, now you don't see something like that everyday" :D